Double universal joint



NOV. 6, 1934. W. B P-EARCE 1,979,768

DOUBLE UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed July 24, 1935 Patented Nov. 6, 1934 UNITEDsms lerares This invention relates to universal joint structures and,more particularly, to an improved form of double universal joint whichis of economical construction and which is durable and eicient inoperation.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved universaljoint structure comprising a plurality of universal joint assemblies andembodying novel means for centering or relatively positioningcorresponding members of the joint assemblies. f Another object of thisinvention is to provide an improved double universal joint wherein novelmeans is provided for sealing and lubricating the positioning connectionfor the joint assemblies.

Other objects and advantages of this invention ywill vbe apparent fromthe following description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying sheet of drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an outside elevational view showing a double universal jointconstructed according to my invention;

Fig, 2 is an elevational view showing the joint structure of Fig. l, butwith parts thereof in section;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated by line 3-3 ofFig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by line 4-4 ofFig. 2.

Detailed reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing whereinI have illustrated an improved double universal joint which may be usedfor various purposes, but which is especially suitable for use intransmitting torque' in motor vehicles of the front-wheel-drive type. Indisclosing my invention I have illustrated what I now regard to be thepreferred form of my improved universal joint, but it should beunderstood that the invention may be embodied in various otherstructural arrangements.

In general my improved double universal joint comprises a pair ofuniversal joint assemblies 10 and 11 which are operably connected by anintermediate torque transmitting member 12, and a connection 13 betweenthe joint assemblies for centering or relatively positioningcorresponding members of the assemblies with respect to each other. Aswill appear more fully hereinafter, the positioning connectionprovided-between corresponding members of the two joint assemblies,causes these members to always assume the same angular relationship withrespect to an oscillation center whenever a flexing of the universaljoint structure takes place. l

As shown in vthe drawing the universal J'Qint assembly 10 comprises ayoke 15, which may be formed integral with lor connected to a torquetransmitting shaft or spindle 16, and a cross 17 having oppositelyextending trunnions 18 and 19 which are disposed in suitable bearingsprovided on the spaced arms 20 and 21 of the yoke. Likewise, theuniversal joint assembly 11 comprises a yoke 22, which may be formedintegral with or connected to a torque transmitting shaft or spindle 23,and a cross 24 which is provided with 85 oppositely extending trunnions25 and 26. The trunnions of the cross 24 are disposed in suitablebearings which are provided on the spaced yoke arms 27 and 28 of theyoke 22.

The cross 17 of the joint assembly 10 is provided 70 with a second pairof oppositely extending trunnions 29 which are disposed at substantiallyright angles to the axis of trunnions 18 and 19, and likewise, the cross24 of the joint assembly 11 is provided with oppositely extendingtrunnions 30 75 which are disposed at substantially right angles to theaxis of the trunnions 25 and 26. For connectingy the two jointassemblies I provide the intermediate transmission member 12 which is inthe form of a double yoke member common to the 8o two joint assemblies10 and 11.

This intermediate transmission member may be of any appropriate formand, in this instance, is

of unitary one-piece construction in the form of a ring 31 havingpairs'of spaced yoke arms or ears 85 32 and 33 projecting from oppositesides thereof. `The spaced ears 32 carry suitable bearings which 'arepreferably similar to the bearings of the yoke arms20 and 21 and inwhich the trunnions 29 of the cross 17 are disposed. The spaced ears 33are 90 likewise preferably provided with bearings similar to thebearings of the yoke arms 27 and 28 and in which the trunnions 30 of thecross 24 are disposed. From the arrangement which is illustrated in thedrawing and which has just been described, it will be seen that theintermediate transmission member 12 is a double yoke member and iscommon to and connects the two joint assembliesl and 11. Moreover, fromthe arrangement disclosed, it will be understood by 10o those skilled inthe art, that the crosses 17 and 24 are trunnioned or swivelled in theyokes 15 and 22 and connect the same with the transmission member 31.

'Io provide the joint structure with a centering 105 or positioningconnection between the two joint assemblies, I construct the yoke 15with a bridge or web t5,v which integrally connects the yoke arms 20 and21, and which carries a ball member or ,portion 36, and I likewiseprovide the yoke 22 11o with a web or bridge 37 integrally connectingthe yoke arms 27 and 28 and carrying a socket member or portion 38 withwhich the ball portion 36 cooperates. Because of the arm connecting Websand 37 the yokes 15 and 22 may be conveniently termed closed yokes.These webs materially strengthen the yokes and, in addition, serve tocarry the cooperating parts of the positioning connection betweenI thetwo joint assemblies.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the ball portion 36 extends into arecess or socket 39 of the portion 38 with a bearing or bushing 40interfposed between the spherical surface of the ball portion and theinner surface of the' socket. To permit of the necessary axialmovement.L of the ball portion 36 within the socket 39, during flexingof the universal joint structure, I mount the hollow bearing or bushing40 for shifting or sliding movement within the socket. This socket ispreferablythough not necessarily, of cylindrical cross sectionasishovvn| iniFig.. 3, and the outer surface of the'- bearing 4G is: ofcorresponding shape to slide in. the socket. The inner surface ofthebearing is spherical to:v cooperate with the spherical, surface of theball portion 36- and, to permit of assembly of these parts, thebea-ring` is split or formed of compl'ementalsections, as shown in Fig.43*. The bearing sections: are assembled on the ball: portion 36 beforethe latter is inserted into the socket 39'.

As. shown in- Fig. 2- of the drawing the portion 38- of the: yoke 22 isconstructed with ample clearance spaces on opposite sides of the ballportion 36 and, to maintain ther joint structure in. anl eilicientoperating condition, I provide a conduit 42 forsupplying; lubricanttathese spaces and a sealing, device 43 for retaining the lubricant andpreventing' theentry of foreign matter. The lubricant supply conduitymay have any conveniently accessible location and, in thisl instance,lis in the forml of a: tube, having. opposite ends thereof vmountediinthe yoke 22 and with its intermediate `in the: yoke.- 22 at the: outerend of the tube 42,

so that lubricant. may be readily supplied to. the positioning.-connection throughthe tube..

The socket portion 38 of, the positioning connection is provided withL arounded or substantially spherical outer surface, as showny in Fig. 2,and the sealing device 43 cooperates with. this rounded outersurface..The sealing device itself is preferably in the form of a sheetmetalshell 45 which is mountedY on thek bridge portion of the yoke 15 soas to` form a sockety into which the portion 38- extends.V This sheetmetal shell is provided at itsy outer endwith an internal annular grooveor channel 46 in which a suitable packing 47 is disposed for sealingengagement with the roundedsurface ofi the portion 38. This'packing ispreferably so proportioned that it can be compressed suicientl-y, atassembly of the device, to permit the rounded portion 38 tobe insertedinto the metal shell 45.

During use of my improved universal joint structure, torque istransmitted from one joint assembly to the other through theintermediate member 12 and Whenever the angular position of one of theshaft members, such as the sha-ft member 16, is changed, the positioningconnection 13 causes a corresponding change in the angular position ofvthe other shaft member. `Since the cooperating ballv and socket portions36 and 38 0f the positioning connection are carried respectively by theyoke members 15 and 22, it will be seen that a tilting of either yokemember causes a corresponding tilting of the other yoke member. Theshiftable sectional bearing 40 provides a simple and eiiicient operatingconnection between the cooperating ball and socket portions 36 and 38,and likewise the ball and socket arrangement formed' by the shell 45.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing it will nowbe readily seen that I have provided an improved form of doubleuniversal joint wherein novel means is embodied for centering orrelatively positioning corresponding members' of the two jointassemblies. It will be seen, moreover, that my improved universal jointstructure is simple and compact and of economical construction, and thatnovel sealing means, embodied in this structure, conserves the lubricantsupply andv excludes foreign material so that the device is capable ofrendering prolonged eilicient service with the minimum of attention.

While I` have illustrated and described the improvedimiversalY jointstructure of my invention in a detailed manner, it should be understood,however, thaty I do not wish to. bey limited to the precise details oflconstruction and arrangement of parts illustrated and described, butregard the invention as includingsuch changes and modications as do notinvolve a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a universal joint the combinationl of a plurality of pairs ofswivelly connected members, an intermediate transmission. member havingoperative pivotal connection with corresponding members of said pairs,other corresponding members of said pairs having portions cooperatingwith each other for operatively connecting such other members, one ofsaid cooperating portions having a recess therein and another having aball disposed in said recess, and a bearing for said ball slidable inthe recess.

2. In a universal joint the combinationof. a plurality of. pairsofswivelly connected members, an intermediate transmission member havingoperative pivotal connection with corresponding members of said pairs,other corresponding members.. of said pairs having portions cooperatingwith each other for operatively connecting such other members, one ofsaid cooperating portions having a recess therein and another having aball disposed in said recess, and a sectional bearing carried by theball and slidable in the recess.

3. ln a universal joint the combination of a plurality of pairs ofswivelly connected members, an intermediate transmission member havingoperative pivotal connection with corresponding members of said pairs,other corresponding members of said pairs having portions cooperatingwith each other for operatively connecting such other members, thecooperating portion of one of said other members being recessed andhaving a substantially spherical outer surface and the cooperatingportion of a second of said other members being journaled in therecessed portion, and sealing means carried by said second member andengaging said spherical outer surface.

4. In a universal joint structure the combination of a pair of universaljoint assemblies including -an intermediate transmission member commonto both of said assemblies, and positioning means for said assembliescomprising a hollow portion carried by one of said assemblies and a ballportion carried by the other of said assemblies and extending into saidhollow portion, and a bearing for the ball portion slidable in saidhollow portion.

5. In a universal joint structure the combination oi a pair of universaljoint assemblies including an intermediate transmission member common toboth of said assemblies, and positioning means for said assembliescomprising a hollow portion carried by one of said assemblies and a ballportion carried by the other oi said assemblies and extending into saidhollow portion, and a sectional bearing assembled on said ball portionand slidable in said hollow portion.

6. In a universal joint structure the combination of a pair of universaljoint assemblies including an intermediate transmission member common toboth of said assemblies, positioning means for said assembliescomprising a hollow portion carried by one of said assemblies and a ballportion carried by the other of said assemblies and extending into thehollow portion, said hollow portion having a substantially sphericalouter surface, and sealing means carried by said other of the assembliesand cooper-ating with said spherical outer surface.

'7. In a universal joint structure the combination of a pair ofuniversal joint assemblies including an intermediate transmission membercommon to both of said assemblies, positioning means for said assembliescomprising cooperating ball and socket portions carried by therespeotive assemblies, the socket portion of said positioning meanshaving a rounded outer surface, a sheet metal shell carried by theassembly other than the one which carries the socket portion, and apacking in said shell engaging said rounded outer surface.

8. In a universal joint structure the combination of a pair of universaljoint assemblies each comprising a yoke and a cross trunnioned therein,an intermediate yoke in which the cross of each of said assemblies isalso trunnioned, and a positioning connection for said assembliescomprising a socketed extension on the yoke of one of the assemblies, abearing slidable in said socketed extension, and a ball extension on theyoke of the other of said assemblies and seated in the slidable bearing.

9. In a universal joint structure the combination of a pair of universaljoint assemblies each comprising a yoke and a cross trunnioned therein,an intermediate transmission ring having oppositely extending yokeportions in which the crosses of said assemblies are also trunnioned,and a positioning connection for said assemblies comprising a socketedportion formed integral with the yoke or one of said assemblies andextending into said ring, a bearing slidable in said socketed portion,and a ball portion formed integral with the yoke of the other of saidassemblies and seated in said slidable bearing.

10. In a universal joint structure the combination of a pair ofuniversal joint assemblies yeach comprising a yoke and a crosstrunnioned therein, an intermediate transmission ring having oppositelyextending yoke portions in which the crosses of said assemblies are alsotrunnioned, a positioning connection for said assemblies including asocketed portion carried by the yoke of one of said assemblies and aball portion carried by the yoke of the other of said assemblies andoperating in the socketed portion, the latter portion having asubstantially spherical outer surface, means carried by the lastmentioned yoke and providing a socket in which said socketed portion isoperable, and a packing associated with said means and engaging saidspherical outer surface.

11. In a universal joint the combination of a pair of universal jointassemblies including an intermediate transmission member common to bothof said assemblies, a positioning connection for said assembliescomprising cooperating ball and socket portions carried by therespective assemblies and a bearing engaging the ball portion andslidable in the socket portion, means for introducing lubricant intosaid positioning connection, and means for sealing said connectionagainst the escape of lubricant and the entry of foreign matter.

12. In a universal joint structure the combination of a pair ofuniversal joint assemblies each comprising a yoke and a cross trunnionedtherein, the yoke of each of said assemblies having closing means at itsinner end, an intermediate yoke in which the cross of each of saidassemblies is also trunnioned, and a positioning connection for saidassemblies comprising a socketed part on the closing means of the yokeof one of the assemblies and a ball part on the closing means of theyoke of the other of said assemblies and having operative engagement inthe socketed part.

13. In a universal joint structure the combination of a pair ofuniversal joint assemblies each comprising a yoke and a cross trunnionedtherein, the yoke of each of said assemblies having closing means at itsinner end, an intermediate yoke in which the cross of each of saidassemblies is also trunnioned, and a positioning connection for saidassemblies comprising a socketed part on the closing means of the yokeof one of the assemblies, said socketed part having a rounded outersurface, a ball part on the closing means of the yoke of the other ofsaid assemblies and having operative engagement in the socketed part,and a skirt part extending from the closing means of the last mentionedyoke and having sealing cooperation with the rounded outer surface ofthe socketed part.

JOI-IN W. B. PEARCE.

